NỒNG ĐỘ MELATONIN VÀ CORTISOL TRÊN BỆNH NHÂN NGƯNG THỞ KHI NGỦ TRƯỚC ĐIỀU TRỊ

Abstract

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that not only affects breathing but also affects the entire body, including the hypothalamic-endocrine axis. This condition involves disturbances in the secretion of cortisol and melatonin, which are closely related to the sleep-wake cycle, and can contribute to increased daytime sleepiness. Objectives: To investigate the levels of salivary melatonin and cortisol in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) before treatment, and their relationship with other clinical and paraclinical factors. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients diagnosed with OSA who underwent polysomnography at the University Medical Center, Ho Chi Minh City between November 2022 and August 2024. Melatonin and cortisol levels were collected from saliva samples. Result: The mean salivary melatonin and cortisol levels in patients with OSA before treatment were 80.80 ± 52.48 pg/mL and 7.58 ± 5.45 µg/dL, respectively. Melatonin levels were lower in the morning, while cortisol levels were higher in the morning and decreased in the afternoon. No significant differences in melatonin and cortisol levels were found across age groups, gender, BMI, or levels of daytime sleepiness. Melatonin had a weak negative correlation with the number of cups of tea consumed (p<0.05) and the lowest SpO₂ (p<0.1). Conclusion: Melatonin and cortisol levels before treatment fluctuate according to the circadian rhythm. Melatonin has a weak negative correlation with tea consumption and the lowest SpO₂ levels. These findings help clarify the endocrine characteristics of OSA patients and suggest the potential use of melatonin as a biomarker for assessing circadian rhythm fluctuation on OSA patients.